1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a custom fitting ballet pointe shoe toe piece and a method for equalizing the vertical weight bearing distribution across the tips of all toes in all ballet dance positions approximating the pointe position. The custom toe cap acts as an extension of the relatively shorter toes of the dancer with an uneven or irregular toe line and provides a firm, stable yet comfortable support surface inside the pointe shoe.
2. The Prior Art
Ballet dancers have traditionally experienced foot problems as well as dance technique problems due to improper weight distribution at the tip of their toes while in a pointe position. The "pointe position" is the position that ballet dancers assume when they go up on the tips of their toes in a special ballet "pointe shoe". In this position the leg and toes are approximately vertically perpendicular to the dance surface. The dancer's technique or "line" in the pointe position is an imaginary vertical longitudinal straight line extending from the tip of the shoe through the center of the toe platform and up the leg which is considered ideal for balance during ballet dancing. Although the pointe shoe is made with a firm toe box platform at the tip of the shoe providing a firm flat surface on which the dancer balances, serious problems are created by the fact that the toe line of the individual is seldom straight or regular and/or perpendicular to the ideal vertical line along the dancer's leg. The result is unequal weight distribution across the tips of the dancer's toes. Unequal weight distribution may result in extreme discomfort or pain to the dancer. In many cases permanent injury in the nature of toe contractures known as hammertoes, or other serious toe disfigurement results from undue stress. The uneven weight distribution and excessive pressure on the weight bearing toes also results in a number of foot health problems such as stress induced toe buckling or bending, blistering, skin irritation, painful corns, stress fractures, bunions (a bony enlargement of the big toe joint) and ingrown toenails to mention a few.
In addition to the health problems described, the unequal weight distribution may cause the dancer's feet to tilt to one side or "sickle out" through lack of balance resulting in poor technique or "line" in the pointe position. It is not rare that a ballet dancer suffers constant pain, discomfort and disfiguration of the toes in order to compensate for this natural imbalance of pressure on the toes in the pointe position in an effort to maintain acceptable technique or "line".
In the past, the problem described has been in the main accepted as something to be endured for the art. Some efforts have been made in the past to provide a certain amount of cushioning or padding support for the tips of the shorter toes. One such example of toe padding is U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,304 to T.V. Poole which teaches the use of sheepskin or the like with the wool thereon. The Poole patent also discloses the known use of materials such as sponge rubber worn inside the shoe at the tips of the toes. Such devices do not provide a means of weight distribution since they are neither firm nor form fitting. The cushioning is neither stable nor uniform and in most cases offers little or no beneficial results. The longer toes or big toe alone still takes all of the vertical pressure with the undesirable results described.
Another known expedient is the provision of a preformed solid rubber or rubber-like insert in the toe area of dancing shoes such as shown in the Salvio Australian Patent No. 30,125 and the Clark U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,046. Although the Clark patent describes the material as being self molding, the ethane vinyl acetate in this instance must be heated in boiling water to soften and become pliable. The material then returns to its hardened condition. While these types of toe blocks may be made to generally conform to the toe line, they do not take the shape of the three dimensional surface topography of the toes themselves. Additionally, since the toe cap tightly surrounds and encases the toes and end of the foot it creates problems of air circulation and perspiration. For this reason, the Clark patent recommends additional use of cotton around the covered toes to absorb excess moisture.
Also well known is the use of in-situ expanding foams such as low density polyurethane to enclose the foot or a portion of it. Such foams are used to fill the space between the foot surface and the shoe or molding shell. These foam liners are usually left in the shoe and used with ski boots for instance or used to compensate for an abnormal foot formation. The internal configuration of the shoe itself is permanently altered.
The European Patent No. 0,136,415 to Nordi shows still another expedient for filling the space between the dancer's toes and the shoe. A flowable plastic filling is placed inside elastic films which are sealed about their edges. Such devices are subject to punctures and leakage and also result in excessive heat build up from skin contact with the plastic film encasing the filling material.